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COMMITTEE &  
TASK FORCE REPORTS

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

• Vance Thomas, Central Seminary, Chair
• Cindy Aalders, Regent College
• Jessica Boyer, Mount St. Mary’s University
• Craig Kubic, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Derek Rieckens, Catholic Theological Union
• Oliver Schulz, Colorado Christian University
• Megan Welsh, University of Colorado Boulder
• Gillian Harrison Cain, Atla Director of Member Programs
• Denise McFarlin, Atla Staff Liaison
• Jamie Lin, Atla Staff Liaison

YEAR IN REVIEW

It has been an interesting and exciting year for the Conference 
Committee. As a full committee, we started our work back in Sep-
tember 2021. We welcomed Derek Rieckens as the new editor of 
the Summary of Proceedings and as a new committee member. 
Among the items we addressed were reviewing and revising the 
scoring rubric used to evaluate conference proposals as well as the 
challenges of effectively conducting a hybrid conference. Much of 

Conference
Jamie Lin, Atla Staff Liaison
Vance Thomas, Chair



2    ANNUAL Y E ARBOOK

the insights from the 2020 and 2021 virtual conferences were in-
structive, but the challenge of balancing in-person and virtual par-
ticipation was not a simple task. Undaunted, we pushed forward 
and issued a call for proposals in October.

Committee members promoted the call for proposals through-
out the remainder of the fall months and into December. After a 
short extension of the proposal submission deadline, the commit-
tee reconvened in February 2022 to review the proposals. We ul-
timately paired down our October projection of 95 sessions to a 
more modest and manageable number of 48. The reduction was 
necessitated by the logistics of managing a hybrid conference. Af-
ter our deliberations concluded, we had a tentative list of sessions 
and a draft of a schedule.

As the time for the conference itself approached, committee 
members attended to last minute arrangements for the memorials 
and local host arrangements.

And with that, it was time to head to Baltimore.

ATLA ANNUAL 2022 CONFERENCE REVIEW 

It’s the dog days of summer, and classes will soon resume for many 
of us. Before we move on into this next season though, I would like 
to take a quick opportunity to reflect on the Atla Annual 2022.

Almost two months ago we gathered, many in person in Balti-
more, even more virtually via Zoom, to commit time to the impor-
tant tasks of learning from, sharing with, and providing support to 
one another in the work of theological librarianship. I know that 
sounds very formal and somewhat inflated in its expression, but 
these are the elements that make the annual conference so impor-
tant and rewarding for me. Please humor me as I take a moment to 
lift each of these for reflection.

This year, attendees learned from three plenary speakers about 
contextual changes addressing theological libraries. Tony Zanders 
addressed the need to “future-proof” our libraries, to prepare our 
staff and institutions to be prepared and resilient for the chang-
es ahead. He provided suggestions on how to strategically move 
into that future, how to empower workers, and develop respon-
sive conferences. Dr. Michele A.L Villagran reminded us that the 
biggest asset in all cultural contexts is people. She addressed how 



Committee & Task Force Reports    3

emotional intelligence and cultural intelligence can help strength-
en the bonds between those people and their context for greater 
success. Dr. Damayanthi M.A. Niles wrapped up the conference by 
challenging us to decenter our Christian perspective so that we can 
imagine the place of the sacred in other faith traditions. From a 
broader perspective, she invited us to risk decentering the convic-
tions we privilege so that we see and hear the plurality of voices, 
many weaker and quieter than the dominant narrative. The goal 
is to create a space for plurality in librarianship. In all three of the 
plenaries, people were the central point of concern.

Contributing to the richness of ideas set by the plenary speak-
ers, many of our colleagues shared their wisdom and insights with 
the rest of us by presenting papers, leading conversation groups, 
participating in panel discussions, and creating posters. Over 80 
individuals communicated their experience and expertise across 
over 50 different sessions conducted between Tuesday evening 
and Saturday morning. In some instances, it was an opportunity 
to have a seasoned member of the association share an illuminat-
ing connection for those of us who still experience a little imposter 
syndrome. In other instances, it was an opportunity to have a new 
member share their enthusiasm and new insights that may have 
been missed by those of us who walk well-trod paths. I would be 
remiss if I neglected to mention our exhibitors who shared their 
many resources and tools to help us succeed. In all instances, our 
colleagues shared their time, their experience, and their reflec-
tions as they created a moment to dialogue on the successes and 
failures they have experienced. I, for one, am immensely grateful 
for such an offering.

Lastly, along with the learning and sharing, we had an opportu-
nity to support one another. Whether by virtual means or in per-
son, we gathered and gave one another a smile, a warm welcome, 
space to express cares and concerns, and maybe even a laugh or 
two. It started with the welcome for new members on Wednesday 
evening, an event that is routinely full of optimism and anxiety. As 
an association, we also took time during the memorials to remem-
ber our cherished colleagues who have died. We acknowledged 
the gift of service for those who volunteered on committees and 
boards. (I am especially thankful for fellow Conference Committee 
members.) We applauded the good work of Brenda Bailey-Hainer 
on her imminent retirement. And we offered thanks and praise 
(and continue to do so) to the Atla staff; without their countless 
hours of work the conference would not have happened. 



4    ANNUAL Y E ARBOOK

With all that in mind, I think it is quite clear where the impor-
tance and value of the annual conference can be found. It is not in 
the opportunities to indulge the local food scene (yes, crab cakes 
were eaten); nor is it in the chance to explore local points of inter-
est (I heard there was a baseball game nearby). Let’s be honest—it’s 
the people. It is the people, the members of this association, who 
are at the center of these learning, sharing, and supporting mo-
ments. These are the people who make the annual conference the 
event that it is. Whether it is a chance to have an animated conver-
sation with a clutch of colleagues over a cup of coffee and snacks 
between sessions or a list of new professional contacts added to 
your address book or something similar, the value, and the real 
reward, of the conference are the people with whom we share this 
vocation.

In short, for me, the highlight of the conference was all of you. 
For that, I thank you.

I look forward to seeing you in 2023 in Ft. Worth, Texas. Until 
then, I’ll be thinking of you.

ATLA ANNUAL 2022 CONFERENCE: BY THE NUMBERS

• 59 proposals submitted; 42 proposals accepted (71% 
acceptance rate)

• 258 total registrations

• 106 in-person participants

• 152 online participants

• 52 sessions

• 3 plenary sessions (3 hours of content)

• 42 sessions (40 hours of content)

• 7 vendor- or exhibitor-led sessions

• 27 interest and denominational group meetings

MANY THANKS

As a last order of business to wrap up Atla Annual 2022. I need to 
offer my thanks to the other members of the committee. First, two 
committee have completed their tenure: Cindy Aalders and Megan 



Committee & Task Force Reports    5

Welsh. I will miss your presence on the committee greatly, whether 
that’s in your patient indulgence of my icebreaker activities or your 
thoughtful questions and reflections. I hope we continue to meet 
the standard of excellence you have demonstrated. Special thanks 
to committee member and local host committee chair Jessica Boyer 
and her colleagues at Mount St. Mary’s University for welcoming 
us to Baltimore. And to the other committee members—Craig Ku-
bic, Derek Rieckens, and Oliver Schulz—I look forward to our time 
together again in 2023. Lastly, my deepest thanks to Gillian Har-
rison Cain, Jamie Lin, and Denise McFarlin for being the wizards 
behind the curtain that make a lot of the conference magic happen. 
We would be lost without you.


